Compton Creek Letter of Support

July 21, 2009 at 12:01 am | Posted in Bike News, Get Involved | 2 Comments
Tags: bike path, South Central LA

Recently, LACBC submitted a letter of support to the Army Corps of Engineers, at the behest of LA County Supervisor Mark Ridley Thomas, for a Compton Creek Ecosystem Restoration Study.  If funded, this study will serve to unify all studies done on the Compton Creek Watershed, and be a way for bike path projects along the Creek to be funded.  LACBC will continue to take action on this issue, to ensure safe bike access along this creek and other rivers and tributaries.

—–

Colonel Thomas H. Magness, IV

District Commander

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Los Angeles District

P.O. Box 532711

Los Angeles, CA 90053-2325

Dear Colonel Magness:

REQUEST TO INITIATE COMPTON CREEK ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION STUDY

Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition (LACBC) is a membership supported advocacy organization working to improve the bicycling environment and quality of life in Los Angeles County.  We are interested in the Compton Creek Watershed because it has the potential to be multi-beneficial for the environment and all users, including pedestrians and bicyclists.

Home to more than 700,000 residents, the Compton Creek Watershed drains a highly urbanized 42.1 square miles of the Los Angeles River Watershed within the Cities of Los Angeles and Compton and the unincorporated Willowbrook community.  While a segment of the creek has retained a natural river bottom, the majority of the waterway has been paved with concrete and the surrounding lands have been almost completely developed.  As a result, outdoor recreational opportunities in the surrounding communities and along the creek are limited, water quality is degraded, water conservation opportunities have not been realized, and open space and natural resources, such as plant and wildlife, have been greatly reduced.

The Los Angeles County Flood Control District and the Corps have expressed a concern that in the wake of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s mandated Levee Certification Program, the Compton Creek levy system must be upgraded; otherwise, an unmitigated flood risk to the lower reach of the creek may arise.  A plan to better understand current flood control capacity and flood risk in the area is essential for public safety and the economic viability of the surrounding community.

Ultimately, the plan should result in the successful development of projects that incorporate these multiple-benefit opportunities and invest millions of dollars of Federal, State, and local funds to enhance the watershed and its recreational and transportation amenities, including those for bicyclists and pedestrians.  We urge the Corps to undertake this study and look forward to working with you in its development.

We very much appreciate your consideration of our request.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Klausner

Executive Director, Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition

c:          Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas

Los Angeles County Congressional Delegation

Elected Officials/City Managers, Cities of Los Angeles, Long Beach and

Compton Department of Public Works

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